Glimpse Image Editor: free alternative to Photoshop

Posted on by Darlene Nguyen

The open-source photo editing software GIMP has received a new fork called Glimpse Image Editor. Still free, the latest software, which is opposed to Adobe Photoshop, should have a more pleasant and accessible interface.

Better known under the name of GIMP, the GNU Image Manipulation Program project had the ambition to propose an open-source and free solution to retouch a photograph. Today, a new fork – a new branch of independent development – of GIMP has been started under the name Glimpse Image Editor. The goal of the new software is simple: to make the interface and user interaction more convenient and enjoyable.

A problem with its name

The development of GIMP began in 1995, more than 20 years ago. This year also saw the release of Quentin Tarantino’s cult film Pulp Fiction. It is precisely from this film that the name of the software is taken, especially from a scene considered shocking and violent. The word gimp is also used in an insulting way in cases of school harassment or to offensively describe a person with a disability. Many complaints have been made to developers without them wanting to change anything, such as the DPReview relay. For Glimpse developers, the new name will be more appropriate for certain environments, such as educational settings.

GIMP interface development stalled

However, the project’s leaders are defending themselves against having the name change as the only point of interest, even if this precise point is the origin of the intention. Indeed, the teams in charge of the GIMP interface have not met since 2012. An eternity in the world of development. The new project must be a breath of fresh air fuelled by new ideas, but also by new financial means. The ambition carried by the developers of Glimpse is simple. The newcomer must be more pleasant, simpler, and more accessible to the user. GIMP is often criticized for doing the opposite.

For Windows or Linux, macOS will follow

Glimpse is, therefore, at the beginning of its history, but with good prospects. It intends to answer the reproach often addressed to the free software world coming from Linux: improve the interaction with the end-user to make the whole less austere. However, this completely new work questions the sustainability of the project. Despite everything, it is also one of the strengths of the free world with the possibility of proposing a new copy that will perhaps surpass its elder.

For more details about the project, the editor’s site is complete with a well-filled FAQ. Glimpse is available now for Windows 7 (at least) as well as for several modern Linux distributions. The development teams indicate that a version for macOS is planned, without giving any delay.

Open source and the parasite syndrome

Posted on by Darlene Nguyen

An open-source project is both a common good and a public good. An ideal dichotomy for the presence of parasites, who want to use the technology without participating in it or attract customers by contributing to the project. However, there are ways to overcome this syndrome.

The specificities of open source projects

Open source communities should encourage software free riding. Because software is a public good, a non-contributing user does not exclude others from using the software. Therefore, it is better to have someone who uses your open source project rather than your competitor’s software. Also, a software parasite makes it more likely that other people will use your open source project (through word of mouth or other). This type of user can, therefore, have positive network effects on a project.

Non-exclusivity and non-rivalry

You might think that open source projects are public goods. Anyone can use open source software (non-exclusive), and someone who uses an open-source project does not prevent someone else from using it (non-rivalry). However, through the prism of companies, these projects are also common goods. Anyone can use open source (non-exclusive) software. Still, when an end-user becomes a customer of company A, it is unlikely that he or she will become a customer of company B (rivalry).

An external agent required

Dozens of academics argue that a foreign agent is needed to solve the parasite problem. The most common approaches are privatization and centralization. The government takes care of a common good when it is centralized, as an external agent. During the privatization of a public good, one or more members of the group receive selective benefits or exclusive rights to that common good in exchange for its continued maintenance. In this case, one or more companies act as external service providers.

Individuals do not seek their common interest

Many researches and books were written on the governance of public and common goods. Many conclude that groups do not self-organize to maintain the common goods on which they depend.

It’s all about control

The “appropriator” who refers to those who use or withdraw from a resource, For example, fishermen, irrigators, farmers, etc. – or companies that try to turn open-source software users into paying customers. It means that the shared resource must be made exclusive (to a certain extent) to encourage members to manage it. As soon as there is an incentive, those who are lessees participate.

Unlike Windows and macOS, Linux is struggling on the OS market!

Posted on by Darlene Nguyen

Linux is the largest community project in the development world. It is used in almost all technological fields (servers, cloud, mobile, supercomputer, etc.). But it’s application can be very confusing on the PC market. Several have tried to explain this by many problems, including the lack of manufacturers offering PCs with Linux pre-installed; support for drivers and proprietary software; user interfaces that people sometimes find very basic; or the problem of ecosystem fragmentation.

Struggles on the desktop OS market

Among the big names in technology which have given their opinion on the issue, we could mention Linus Torvalds for whom, if Linux has difficulty succeeding in the desktop OS market, it is mainly because of the fragmentation of the ecosystem. Mark Shuttleworth, founder and CEO of Canonical (publisher of Ubuntu) spoke of the lack of a futuristic vision. He blames the community, which he says is trying more to do things that look like what already exists, instead of innovating (as he wanted to do with the Unity project); this leads to forks and fragmentations, which in turn will slow down the adoption of Linux on the desktop.

Successful platforms are characterized by different elements that can be easily missed by merely looking at the surface. On the developer side, for example, they have an OS that developers can use to create applications, and they offer an SDK and developer tools integrated into the operating system. There is also a need for documentation for developers, tutorials, etc. so that people can learn to develop for the platform. And once the applications are created, there must be an application store to submit them.

But developers cannot create excellent applications on their own. However, we also need designers. And designers need tools to simulate and prototype applications; user interface templates for things like layout and navigation so that each application doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel, and a graphic design language to visually adapt their application to the rest of the system. Also, it needs HMI guidelines documenting all of the above, tutorials, and other educational resources to help people learn how to design applications for the platform.

Need for a mainstream Linux distribution

On the end-user side, you need a mainstream operating system with an integrated application store, where people can get the applications created by developers. The consumer OS may be the same as the developer OS, but not necessarily (for example, this is not the case for Android or iOS). Users must also have a way to get help or support when they have problems with their system (whether it is a physical store, a helpful website, or other).

You can’t talk about a platform until you meet four essential requirements: an operating system, a developer platform, a design language, and an application store. On this basis, if we look in the world of free software, where are the platforms? The only OS that meets the four conditions in the open world is Elementary OS.

Linux? No, because Linux is a kernel, which can be used to create operating systems around which platforms can be built, as Google did with Android. But a core in itself does not meet the four conditions and is therefore not a platform.

Version 5.1 of the Linux kernel is available, optimizes asynchronous I/O

Posted on by Darlene Nguyen

In the new version of the Linux kernel, version 5.1, there are new features, many improvements, and some bug fixes. One of the improvements is the default Intel Fast Boot activation in the graphics driver for Skylake and more modern processors.

Fast Boot explained

Fast Boot is a BIOS feature that reduces the computer’s boot time. If Fast Boot is enabled, booting from a network, an optical drive and removable devices are disabled, and video and USB devices (keyboard, mouse, drives) are not available until the operating system is loaded. It means that Fast Boot only loads what is necessary, eliminating the jolts of the image in the process.

Still, on the Intel technology side of this version of the kernel, we note the support of HDCP 2.2 and GVT (Graphics Virtualization Technology) from Coffee Lake. Coffee Lake is Intel’s code name for the second 14 nm process node refinement after Broadwell, Skylake and Kabylake. The graphics integrated on Coffee Lake chips support DP 1.2 to HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 connectivity. Coffee Lake natively supports DDR4-2666 MHz dual-channel memory when used with Xeon, Core i5, i7, and i9 processors, DDR4-2400 MHz dual-channel memory when used with Celeron, Pentium, and Core i3 and LP DDR3-2133 MHz memory when used with mobile processors.

Linux 5.1 kernel

The Linux 5.1 kernel brings some improvements to the support of ARM platforms, including a new DRM graphics driver for Komeda and support for Bitmain SoC (two A53 cores and a RISC-V core). Only the ARM part is completed for the moment, and RISC-V support is partially progressing. For ARM processors, the default 64-bit configuration in the kernel now recognizes up to 256 cores; a decision following the continuous increase in the number of cores in the Socs. The value can be changed.

In other words, the BM1880 Bitmain SoC includes a dual-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor, a single-core RISC-V subsystem and a Tensor processor subsystem. But with the initial state for Linux 5.1, only the A53 cores are enabled for the moment. The BM1880 is marketed as an “on-board TPU” capable of delivering 1TOPS@INT8 performance, a single-core RISC-V processor capable of up to 1 GHz, and optimized for in-depth learning with a power consumption of only 2.5 Watts. Note that the BM1880 is manufactured by Bitmain, a Chinese company that has started to design ASICs for the extraction of Bitcoins with Antminer and other products. The company has also embarked on artificial intelligence and in-depth learning projects.

There are asynchronous I/Os to accelerate operating systems. It allows applications to perform other tasks until a background writing function is available. The kernel is responsible for notifying the application. A kernel developer, Jens Axboe, is now introducing a new variant called io_uring that aims to increase the speed of asynchronous reading and writing tasks and allow them to evolve better. There is also a userspace library that allows developers to familiarize themselves with the main features of io_uring.

PostmarketOS: free and open source, this system aims to keep our smartphones alive for 10 years

Posted on by Darlene Nguyen
postmarketos-linux-distro

Google is stepping up efforts to ensure that Android smartphones enjoy the latest OS and security updates faster and for a longer time. This requires a better structure of the system itself, programs such as Android One and better collaboration with the various manufacturers.

Despite this, it is still not enough. The vast majority of smartphones benefit from software support for only two years, encouraging users to renew their purchases regularly. This is not good for the portfolio or for the environment.

Increase smartphone’s lifetime up to 10 years

It is to counter this phenomenon that the postmarketOS project was created. It has been in existence since at least 2017, but a recent update of the dedicated website has shed light on it and the subject is very much in vogue at the moment on Reddit.

The concept of postmarketOS is quite simple. The goal of its creators is to allow phones to have a lifespan of 10 years and to ensure that only a hardware failure pushes us to part with a device.

Simplified updates for extended tracking

This free and open system is based on the Alpine Linux distribution which has the advantage of being very light (6 MB for a basic installation) to install in addition to being focused on user safety and ease of execution. The particularity of postmarketOS lies in the fact that each smartphone has only one single package that differentiates it from the others. Absolutely all other packages are shared by all devices running on this OS. In concrete terms, this greatly simplifies the update process since there are far fewer specificities to manage.

Fix the cause instead of the symptoms

This is why postmarketOS claims to be different from solutions like LineageOS where teams of volunteer developers allow old smartphones to have the latest Android innovations. “However, such Android-based projects will always be executed in the shadow of Google and the phone industry, correcting only the symptoms, but never the root cause.

Because yes, postmarketOS is not a version of Android and avoids this whole ecosystem. However, the managers do not rule out the possibility of offering some compatibility with Android applications, but leave it to potential volunteers to take care of this tedious work.

As for the interface, it is specified that postmarketOS allows the user to choose the one that suits him most from an existing catalogue.

100 compatible devices

postmarketOS is only at the Alpha version where even calls don’t work yet (which is not very convenient for a phone). The creators of the system boast that they already have more than 100 compatible devices in which the Google Pixel 3 XL can be found. The latter is undoubtedly the most recent reference in this list where we can also see the following models:

  • Asus Zenfone 5 (the one of 2014)
  • Fairphone 2
  • OnePlus One
  • Samsung Galaxy S5
  • Wiko Lenny 3
  • Xiaomi Mi 5
  • Nokia N900
  • Nextbit Robin

The project is interesting to follow anyway and even if things seem to be moving rather slowly, they are certainly moving forward. To learn more about the practical and technical details, do not hesitate to visit the postmarketOS website.

 

Is Green Website Hosting Really Going To Make A Difference?

Posted on by Darlene Nguyen
green website hosting options

Have you looked into green website hosting options?

Wait, paperless is ‘going green,’ so isn’t the Internet an environmentally-friendly space, to begin with? Well, yes and no, as the Internet leaves its carbon footprint in many different ways. You’ve been made aware, and now you can look into the benefits of green web hosting and what your options are.

The CO2 emissions of data centers are an issue, and the problem is only going to get worse if left alone.

Content has evolved, and there are more websites than ever before. There are web hosting companies out there that are interested in environmentally friendly initiatives. Knowing which of those companies strive to put place a priority on environmental protection is critical.

Now, you might be asking yourself what they could be doing differently to protect the environment. They still need a large data center, and that center needs quite a lot of power. What about a solar energy farm? This is one of the initiatives that some of these web hosting companies are exploring.

There are two other renewable energy sources that data centers can use, too, water and wind. There are also efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. Web hosting companies can get their VER or carbon offset certificate. Before you read any further, let’s address the fact that you still might not be convinced the Internet is leaving such a large carbon footprint. After all, it’s a virtual space, and it’s not like the rest of the world.

Remember the data centers, however, and that’s why these companies are taking steps to protect the environment.

They know, and they are taking action. Let’s speak in equivalents for a moment. Imagine you had a big plane, and you decided to fly to the moon and back over 5,000 times. That would be the equivalent of the Internet’s carbon footprint annually.

Eco friendly-Web-Hosting There are other ways to describe the impact of the Internet on the environment, too. It all comes down to those data centers for the most part. But you also have to think about all the electronic items out there as well. Now you can’t be responsible for all of those gadgets that are used to pull up your site. But you can choose a green web hosting company.

That’s a great place to start, wouldn’t you say? When you look at web hosting companies, they are going to be classified into two groups. One of them was mentioned earlier, VER, which means the companies are making an effort to reduce greenhouse gases in the environment. The other category is REC, which stands of renewable energy certificate.

I would say an REC company is best and has made the most significant effort to reduce the impact that the Internet has on the environment. Find more on such web hosts on this website.

Choosing one of the companies that falls into either group would be just another small way that you can make a difference in the world. We all have to do what we can.

eBay will introduce its own open source server designs

Posted on by Darlene Nguyen

eBay has embarked on a large-scale reconfiguration of its architecture: designing custom hardware and a dedicated artificial intelligence engine, decentralizing the data center cluster, evolving to cutting-edge computing, and developing open source technology solutions.

In the process of completion, as the new servers are already operational; their architecture will be made public, in fact becoming open source. Committed for three years to a project to renew its platforms and modernize its backend infrastructures, eBay announces that it will build its own server designs and offer them in open source by the end of 2018.

Launched by Facebook 7 years ago, the Open Compute Project (OCP) is an initiative to share server designs and make them available in open source.

The latter has grown over the years with the support of leading IT companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Google, HPE, Rackspace and Cisco.

However, some heavyweights are missing, such as eBay, which announced last weekend its intention to develop its own servers and share its open source design so that other companies can use them for their needs. If the U.S. online retail giant has not made any announcements regarding its OCP membership by now, it is very likely that it will end up joining in the coming months.

“As part of an ambitious three years of effort to reconfigure and modernize our back-end infrastructure, eBay announces its own custom servers designed by eBay for eBay. We plan to make eBay servers publicly available through open source in the fourth quarter of this year,” the company said in a post. “The reconfiguration of our core infrastructure included the design of our own hardware and IA engine, the decentralization of our data center cluster, the adoption of a next-generation IT architecture and the use of the latest open source technologies.

Leveraging IA on a Large Scale

Among the technological bricks used by eBay are Kubernetes, Envoy, MongoDB, Docker, and Apache Kafka.

The infrastructure developed by the e-merchant allows it to process 300,000 million daily requests for a data volume of more than 500 petabytes.

“With the transformation, we’ve achieved and the large data flowing through eBay, we’ve used open source to create an internal AI engine that is highly shared among all of our teams and aims to increase productivity, collaboration, and training. It allows our data scientists and engineers to experiment, create products and customer experiences, and leverage IA on a large scale,” eBay said.

What Is Open Source?

Posted on by Darlene Nguyen
Open Source Content

Open source is one of the greatest inventions since sliced bread. We can safely say that it has changed the way we make websites and apps. Thanks to open source code, creating an online presence has become way cheaper than it used to be a while ago when the internet was in its infancy.

Open source is nothing else but code that is free for everybody to access, modify and use as they see fit. WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla! are only three examples of projects that are based on open source code. This is something new. Before the open source project was created, websites and internet applications didn’t offer free access to their code. Everything was encrypted, so website owners had to pay their coder to make changes whenever needed. Besides, even if you had access to the original code, you weren’t allowed to use it for your projects, as it belonged to its creator. Replacing your web developer was a huge problem, as most of them used to write their code, difficult to understand by another coder. Besides, they all encrypted their work before their websites or apps went public so that nobody would steal their code.

Open source code is entirely different.

a galaxy of open source appsYou can reverse engineer projects based on it, and then take whatever code sequences you want and use them to create something new. There are no limits when it comes to tweaking and adjusting the code to suit your needs. You can find open source projects online on GitHub or various blogs, as well as in discussion forums and Facebook groups on IT and coding topics. Everything is accessible and easy to use, hence making the life of web developers so much easier. Furthermore, many people have specialized in developing add-ons and plugins for the most popular open source apps. All these make it very easy for anyone who wants a professional website to build one without too much coding knowledge. Without open source, all these people would have needed to pay expensive developers to build and update their websites.

Strong communities

The most significant advantage of open source projects is that they are developed and maintained by teams of experienced coders. This means that the code is always up to date with the latest technologies and with the latest security features. At the same time, open source projects are also the most exposed to hackers and other cyber criminals out there, as they also have access to the code, just like everyone else. Keeping open source apps secure at all times is one of the most significant challenges for programmers from all over the world.

This is open source in a nutshell. You can easily see that it has made the web a more user-friendly environment. Even beginners can learn how to use this code to create beautiful apps with advanced functionality and professional appearance. Our modern world is more inclined to sharing knowledge and information than ever before. This is good for all of us, coders and consumers.

Microsoft Is Planning To Acquire GitHub For $7.5 Billion.

Posted on by Darlene Nguyen
microsoft buys github

Microsoft is on target to acquire a coding platform that has become very popular with software coders and developers around the world. The tech giant is in the process of buying GitHub for a reported 7.5 billion dollars. At last check, GitHub was currently valued at almost $2 billion.

Once combined, the two companies will help to empower developers to be able to achieve more of their goals at each stage during the development process, bring the developer services and tools of Microsoft to an entirely new audience and speed up enterprise use of the coding platform.

The Purchase Agreement

Microsoft has a long-standing of being a company that focuses on developers first. By deciding to join forces with a coding platform such as GitHub, the tech giant is planning to strengthen its commitment to providing developers freedom, innovation, and openness.

Microsoft is well aware of the responsibility it is undertaking for having community responsibility under the agreement, and the company promises to empower all developers to innovate and build some of the most pressing challenges in the world.

Under the agreement terms, the purchase of GitHub for $7.5 billion will be completed via Microsoft stock. The purchase is also subject to a completion of a regulatory review and customary closing conditions. If everything goes as planned, the acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Upcoming Changes For GitHub?

Also under the agreement, the coding platform will also retain a developer first community for developers and will continue to operate independently. By retaining this independence, GitHub will also be able to provide an open source platform for developers in any industry.

This means that developers will still be able to use programming languages, operating systems and tools of their choice for all of their projects. These developers will also be able to still deploy their code for any operating system, device or cloud.

Global Digital Transformation

In today’s global economy, there are more software companies now than ever before. This places software developers at the forefront of the digital transformation that has been taking place since the dawn of the 21st century.

These companies and developers are driving business functions and processes across departments and organizations. This covers areas from HR (Human Resources) to IT to customer service and marketing. The choices that developers make will have an impact on growth and value creation in every industry.

GitHub has become the home for today’s developers, and it is considered to be the top global destination for software innovation and open source projects. The coding platform currently hosts an extensive network of software developers in almost every country in the world. These developers represent over 1 million companies in industries including:

  • Healthcare
  • Technology
  • Retail
  • Manufacturing
  • Financial Services

Microsoft highly expects that the financials of GitHub will be reported as part of the segment known as the Intelligent Cloud. The acquisition will be accrued to the 2020 fiscal year operating income. This will be done on a non-GAAP basis.

What Are The Best Linux Distributions Available To You?

Posted on by Darlene Nguyen
best_linux_distros

The world of operating systems has been practically dominated by Microsoft Windows for several consecutive decades now, although Apple software is also out there on associated pieces of technology. Some growth and innovation in the netbook and laptop markets also see new players like Chrome operating systems from Google, but for the most part, Apple and Microsoft rule the scene.

Despite all this, Linux has hung around, catering to a select base of users. Some individuals prefer it at an enthusiast level as either a complement or even a replacement for corporate software, and some companies like using it because the very nature of Linux distributions means they can be had freely.

Whatever your reason for being curious, you might be in a position where you are wondering what the best Linux distributions are at the point in time you are in. It’s not a question quickly answered, as one single distribution rarely proves best for all uses and cases. In fact, what you intend to use a Linux distribution for will often determine just which one is going to prove the most optimal choice for you.

The first thing you should establish is your minimum system specifications on the computer or device you intend to run a Linux distribution on. Most of the time, such distributions will need fewer resources than another operating system, which is something many Linux users love, so you’re probably safe. Still, you don’t want to get a distribution you can’t run. In fact, you should verify you can run it well.

Secondly, consider if you are going to have it share a machine or have a computer all to itself as a secondary computer. Some Linux distributions coexist with other operating systems better than others.

Third, ask yourself what your intentions are? If you’re looking for an alternative operating system because you’re tired of the instability and cumbersome controls often associated with Microsoft Windows, then looking for a stable beginner system should be your goal for the best fit. On the other hand, if you’re looking for something to support a gaming rig, you want something that uses far fewer resources than Windows, so your games have more dedicated power, yet, you also want options for specific controls over components and possibly even overclocking for your CPU and graphics card.

One final decision you should make is whether you want to buy a retail package or download the freeware kernel of a particular distribution. A retail package might be more convenient and easy to install and use, and might even come with some support. Then again, you are paying for something that could be free for you.

It’s not a bad idea to ask around or look online. PC sites are always updating their lists of the best Linux distributions available to reflect the current state of affairs, and any Linux enthusiasts you know are probably going to be more than happy to discuss things with you since they can show off their knowledge and expertise.

Typo3 is available in version 9.2.0

Posted on by Darlene Nguyen
rsz_typo3

Version 9.2 of the open source content manager focuses on-site management and aims to “boost publishers’ productivity, push developers’ creativity and make integrators’ lives easier.”

Site Handling

The most remarkable new feature of TYPO3 version 9.2 is the site management feature. Introduced in version 9.1, the “Site Management” module in the TYPO3 administration space now contains a new “Configuration” sub-module. It allows integrators and site administrators to add and modify a global configuration for one or more sites.

Each site configuration has a unique identifier and configuration values such as root page ID, entry point, language definitions, and so on. The configuration files are stored in a YAML file under “typo3conf/sites/site-identifier/”. It is therefore easy to maintain configuration in a version control system such as Git for example.

The site management functionality already supports configurations such as domains, languages, error handling. According to the development team, this feature will be extended to long-term support version v9 later this year.

Debugging and profiling

typo 3 softwareThe TYPO3 Control Panel now provides a more in-depth overview of TYPO3’s internal processes at runtime. Once enabled, TYPO3 integrators and site administrators can access performance and cache statistics and settings for a specific page. They can also simulate certain front-end access situations. It is possible, for example, to endorse the identity of a specific user group or to simulate a time stamp.

Concerning the administration panel, it will receive a significant revision to conform to the highest standards in future versions. To prepare for this development, it has been moved from the kernel to a dedicated system extension. This step also lays the foundation for other improvements, such as a new modern design and new features such as adding better profiling capabilities and the ability to add custom features via an API.

Changes to anticipate the future.

Although TYPO3 is not new to the open source CMS market, its core code is continually being reworked to adopt contemporary technologies and modern software paradigms. In particular, TYPO3 aims to support PSR-15 middleware ready for use by adopting the eponymous standard. For the development team, this approach will improve interoperability with independent libraries. As one of the first enterprise content management systems on the market, TYPO3 version 9.2 introduces PSR-15 middleware in the frontend, as well as in the backend.

TYPO3 v9 long term support version is scheduled for November 2018. This version will try to avoid constants and global variables if possible. To achieve this, a new “Environment” class has been developed, which acts as a central repository to store commonly used properties throughout the kernel. This class also contains methods relevant for all types of PHP, CLI and Web queries.

Security in Typo3

In the continuous security improvement process of the content manager, the path to the “var/” directory can now be configured as a TYPO3_PATH_APP environment variable. The Apache Web server can use the following configuration directive. This directory usually contains Install Tool session files, caching framework files, lock or log files, Extension Manager data files. Even though a correctly configured web server and a TYPO3 instance prevent access to all sensitive files in the “var/” directory, it is evident that they are non-public files. The development team can now locate these files outside the web root.

Getting TYPO3

TYPO3 can be installed in different ways. For example the traditional way by using the source package on typo3.org or the modern way by configuring a project using compose. More details via get.typo3.org/version/9

Gimp 2.10 is available

Posted on by Darlene Nguyen

The leader of open source image editing software receives a significant and much-anticipated update. The GEGL image editor, in particular, brings the most significant benefit to the adoption of this new version.

For GIMP users, it took patience to receive a significant update of the software. Six years of development, nothing less, were necessary to propose all the new features of version 2.10.

The results are nevertheless up to the expectations: GIMP finally supports the RAW format via the free software Raw Therapee or Darktable. The most important innovation is the new image processing engine, GEGL, in high definition. This non-destructive processing engine offers, among other qualities, a multithreaded approach and hardware acceleration. Over 80 GEGL-based filters are already available.

Other new features of GIMP 2.10 are more visible: interface, more modern visual presentation, extensions via plugins. The software now supports OpenEXR, RGBE, WebP, HGT formats and improves compatibility with Photoshop PSD format on import. Color management becomes a fundamental feature of GIMP: most windows and preview areas offer color management. The preview for all filters is compatible with GEGL. Finally, metadata viewing and editing are available for Exif, XMP, IPTC, and DICOM formats.

GIMP is not yet a 100% Photoshop replacement tool for purists, but for most image editing and processing operations, it no longer has much to envy.

A growing demand for open source talents

Posted on by Darlene Nguyen
the_linux_fondation_logo

The annual report on employment in the open source sector released by the Linux and Dice Foundation is available. This report shows that opportunities are growing for qualified open source professionals.

The survey was conducted among more than 750 hiring managers and 6500 Open Source professionals. The summary of the conclusions of this report is very positive and shows some significant changes since the 2017 report:

Hiring open source talent is a priority for 83% of recruiters, up from 76% in 2017.

Linux is back among the most popular open source skill categories, making it knowledge required for most entry-level open source careers.
Containers are rapidly gaining in popularity and importance, with 57% of hiring managers seeking this expertise, up from only 27% last year.

There is a gap between the views of hiring managers and information technology professionals on the effectiveness of efforts to improve diversity in the industry.

Hiring managers move away from hiring external consultants and choose to train existing employees on new open source technologies and help them obtain certifications.

A still very tight recruitment market

While 55% of open source professionals surveyed say it is easy for them to find a job and 87% believe that mastering open source has boosted their careers, the situation is just as tricky for recruiters. 87% of recruiters report difficulties in recruiting.

To keep the most exciting profiles and attract talent, several strategies are put in place. Among these, training and particularly certification have become essential weapons, and it can be observed that companies implementing such plans have doubled since 2016, reaching almost half of respondents (42%). Developers say that training is their first difficulty (49%) in the open source sector before the lack of documentation (41%).

Salaries remain the primary motivation element for recruitment with 30%, but open source professionals also declare for 19% that their primary motivation lies in the originality of the projects and for 14% the possibility of balancing their professional and personal lives. Besides, 10% of them consider flexible working hours and teleworking as the main reasons for their recruitment decision.

The most sought-after skills in the open source market

Only upheaval in the 2018 ranking of skills sought: Linux. He had not gone far, but mastery of the operating system came back in force with 80% of recruiters looking for these skills. With 44% of recruiters looking for profiles that master containerization technologies, the growing trend observed over the last two years is confirmed and places these technologies among the most fashionable in technology companies. For the rest of the podium, we find the cloud, security, web technologies, networks.

Suse will continue its open strategy following purchase

Posted on by Darlene Nguyen
open_suse_distro

A pioneer of the open source era, SUSE, the first company to provide open source services to companies, is acquired for 2.535 billion dollars by the Swedish private equity group EQT Partners. This acquisition comes shortly after SUSE Linux Enterprise 15 is available in beta.

Largest operation in SUSE history

With 1400 employees worldwide, SUSE achieved sales of nearly $35 million in the last twelve months of 2017. The amount of the sale is 26.7 times the adjusted operating income of the SUSE software unit for the 12 months ended October 2017.

Since its creation by German students, SUSE (Software- und System-Entwicklung) has been bought several times, notably by the American software company Novell in 2003 at 120 million dollars in 2003, with the aim of a competitive strategy with Microsoft’s operating systems. Without success, Novell itself was bought by Attachmate Group for 2.2 billion. In 2014 Attachmate merged with the British software company Micro Focus for 1.2 billion dollars. The acquisition by EQT Partners, therefore, represents the most significant transaction in the company’s history.

SUSE to focus on infrastructure

SUSE appears to be pleased with the new partnership with its new owner EQT Partners and is also committed to focusing on its expansion into the IT infrastructure field.

“This is exciting news for all of us at SUSE and marks the next step on our path of growth and momentum. The investment and support provided by EQT will enable us to continue to drive our strategy. ยป

What about open source?

In the announcement on the company’s blog, SUSE wants to reassure about its commitment to the open source world and the continuity of development projects:

“SUSE intends to continue its commitment to open source business and development model and actively participate in communities and projects aimed at bringing open source innovation to the high-quality enterprise. Reliable and usable solutions. Our genuinely open source model, where open refers to the freedom of choice offered to customers and not just the code used in our solutions, is integrated into the SUSE culture, differentiates us in the marketplace and has been the key to our years of success.

The company also confirms the continuation of the current management team: “The current management team led by SUSE CEO, Nils Brauckmann, will remain and continue to focus on the success of customers and partners with a deep commitment and commitment to communities and open source projects.